Govt confirms death of Ebola patient in Kampala ahead of Museveni’s address

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the patient who died last Friday in Kampala succumbed to the deadly Ebola virus disease.

While addressing journalists on Tuesday, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said the patient who died at Kiruddu National Referral hospital had travelled from Mubende, the epic centre of the virus.

“The identified case, is of a man that travelled from Mubende district, which is the current epicentre of Ebola and changed identification on presentation to the health facility,” Aceng said.

Aceng explained that the patient presented symptoms of profuse diarrhea, vomiting blood, anorexia and confusion.

She said that case was triaged and retained in the HDU section of the hospital for close monitoring where he eventually died on October 7, 2022.

In a related development, the health minister also revealed that the five health workers who had contracted Ebola during their line of duty had fully recovered and were discharged from Entebbe Isolation facility to go back to their normal businesses.

“Good news! 5 health workers have been discharged from the Entebbe Isolation Center upon recovering from #Ebola. Glory to God,” Aceng said in a tweet.

Aceng cautioned health workers to remain vigilant and suspicious as they carry out their operations.

The Ministry of Health has so far spent over Shs 2billion in the fight against Ebola.

The Ebola strain has no confirmed treatment profiles but the health workers were treated with therapies that were donated by the US government to help Uganda fight against the virus.